Haynesworth could become an unrestricted free agent, and by extension the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. That's if the Titans aren't able to sign their All-Pro defensive tackle to a new contract by Feb. 27.

And the word is, he's not giving any discounts to stay in Nashville.

"I want to be the top, not among the top," Haynesworth said Wednesday. "That's how the market goes. They put you as the top free agent, so you got to demand top dollar. It's not me. I'm not making up these numbers, it's you guys that come up with the numbers, so I go by that too."

Is Tennessee willing up to open its wallet, or in Haynesworth's case — the vault?

"Hopefully the Titans step up, if they don't, I'm looking," he said.

Haynesworth just finished his seventh NFL season — all with Tennessee. The Titans slapped him with the franchise tag for 2008, but he earned free agency by meeting several incentives in his one-year deal, including reaching the Pro Bowl for a second straight season.

He had a career high 8 1/2 sacks in 14 games before spraining his knee late in a loss at Houston but was a key reason the Titans went an NFL-best 13-3 and earned the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

This week, Haynesworth was all smiles — and the island's most sought-after man since Barack Obama. He was being recruited by players like Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Manning said unlike in college, where the sell is often the campus, facilities, stadium and attractive coeds, it usually comes down to numbers in the pros. So he's unsure the Colts can afford him.

"But Albert deserves to have a great contract," Manning said. "I'd love for him to come to Indianapolis. If he doesn't, I'd like him to leave the division ... I'm getting tired of us having to triple team him to get him blocked. (Center) Jeff Saturday says it's just a nightmare playing against him. So come to us, or go to the NFC."

Colts defensive end Robert Mathis even tossed Haynesworth an Indianapolis helmet during an interview about his future with the Titans.

"I've been talking to players and asking how their coaching staff and stuff is, so I'm not going into this thing blind or anything," Haynesworth said. "I'm just going to look at it and see how it goes."

Besides Haynesworth, Pro Bowl quarterback Kerry Collins could also become a free agent, leaving the Titans without two of their leaders.